Transverse expanding wire fabric



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TRANS VER A. A. G. LAND SE EXPA DING w ed Marc ll, l

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IRE FABRIC 931 S ee s-She Patented Jan. 16, 1934 SATS PATENT oFFlcE 10 Claims.

My invention relates to chain-link wire fabrics, namely fabrics composed of zigzag strands extending transversely of the fabric, with each strand presenting bights at each edge of the zigzag strand, and with each two consecutive strands intertwined te interlock bights of. these strands. v

Fabrics of this construction can readily be manufactured with quite simple machines and at low cost in any desired width of the fabric; and also have the advantage over other fabric constructions that each strand is effectively hinged to each of the strands between which it is disposed, so that the fabric can readily be rolled up even when made of stiff wire.

However, the chain link fabrics as heretofore in use cannot be longitudinally tensioned to any considerable degree-as when stretching such fabrics between widely spaced fence postswithout distorting the shape of the meshes and contracting the fabric in width. Consequently, such fabrics have only been extensively used when it was permissible also to provide stiff rails or auxiliary wires extending longitudinally of the fabric at both edges of the fabric, to which the fabric can be attached so as to be entirely framed by auxiliary stiffening members. f

My present invention aims to provide a chainlink wire fabric composed of strands having zigzag formations so formed as to afford interlinked zigzag portions longitudinally of the fabric, which will take the strain of the longitudinal tensioning; and which will prevent the fabric from contracting in width when tensioned, thereby permitting the fabric to be adequately tensioned even when made of relatively light wire. Moreover, my invention aims to provide a chain-link wire fabricV in which the number of these zigzag portions can be varied so as to afford varying degrees of strength in the fabric.

Furthermore, my invention aims to provide easily manufactured and readily intertwisted constituent strands for chain-link wire fabrics, in which novel but simply ieg formations impart enhanced longitudinal strength to fabrics which have portions composed of other forms of meshes, and aims to provide strand constructions which will readily permit the number and locationof these formations to be varied according to the diameter of thev strand employed and to the strength of fabric required.

So also my fabric aims to provide a chain-link wire fabric in which the fabric, when tensioned longitudinaly, will increase in width rather than contract in width, as with the hereto manufactured fabrics.

'Still further and also more detailed objects will appearl from the following specification and from the accompanying drawings, in which drawings Fig. l'is an elevation of a portion of a wire fabric embodying my invention in which each mesh has two transverse expansion mesh sides.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a portion of my fabric the same as Fig. 1 with different shaped transverse expansion mesh sides.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of an ordinary diamond mesh of a chain-link wire fabric having the same object-excluding effect as that of Fig. 1 with dotted lines showing the distortion of the diamond mesh by a longitudinal tensioning of the fabric.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an elevation of one of the meshes shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a mesh same as Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 showing the increase in the height of these meshes when fabric is tensioned longitudinally, or in the direction of ViP-W1 as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a portion of a wire fabric embodying my invention in which rows of transverse expansion mesh sides alternate with rows of rigid tension mesh sides.

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion of my fabric showing a few of the different designs of transverse expansion mesh sides and a few of the ornamental effects that' can be produced in my fabric.

Figs. 9 and 10 are diagrammatic elevations of portions of fabrics embodying my invention in which each mesh shows two different shaped transverse expansion mesh sides.

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion of a fabric embodying my invention, in 'which ordinary diamond-shaped meshes are used between the longitudinal rows of transverse expansion meshes.

Fig. 12 is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion of a fabric embodying my invention yin which several rows of ordinary four-sided meshesare used between the longitudinal rows of transverse expansion meshes.`

Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic elevation of a portion of a fabric embodying my invention in which meshes are made of strands having multiples of bights at the side edges.

n accomplishing the purpose of my invention I employ spiral strands transversely of the fabric which are consecutively intertwisted through each other to form rows of meshes longitudinally of the fabric, each of which meshes has one or more short sides which resist tensioning strains and also prevent the fabric from contracting in width (or transversely of the fabric) when tensioned longitudinally of the fabric. With the ordinary diamond-shaped meshes, as shown by Fig. 3, which mesh has the same effective mesh opening as meshes of Fig. 1, as shown by round object S, when the fabric is tensioned lengthwise of the fabric or in the direction of W the mesh is distorted as shown by dotted lines. While the mesh is increased in width it is also greatly reduced in height or transversely of the fabric. I overcome this objection by employing mesh shapes which take the longitudinal tensioning strains, which materially reduce the extent to which my meshes can be distorted, and which increase, rather than decrease, the width of the fabric when it is tensioned longitudinally.

Illustrative of such a simple type of my wire fabric as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, I employ strands A and B which are counterpart attened spirals or zigzag strands with bights at the side edges as shown by Fig. 4, which strands are spirally assembled through each other transversely of the fabric or upright in Fig. 1. The left-hand strand A of Fig. l has short legs 14 which cross the aXis C of the strand at oblique angles and are connected by bights 15 to the legs 16 which also cross the axis C of the strand at oblique angles and in the same general direction as the legs 14. The other ends of legs 16 are connected by bights 17 to legs 14.

The line E, which is an imaginary line tangent to the bights l5 of the strands A and B in mesh D, is at right angles to the longitudinal axis C of the strand A. The legs or mesh sides 14 and le of the strand A are on the same side of the line E and the bight l5. The bight is common to both the legs 14 and 15, and these legs are at acute angles to the line E. The bights 17, which are also at the other ends of these legs, are on the same side of the line E. The legs 14 and 15 incline in the same general direction and at oblique angles to the general aXis C of the strand.

Strand B, which is a counterpart of strand A, is reversed when assembled, so that thel two short legs or mesh sides 14 of each mesh extend in opposite directions and are interlocked by bights 17, and are connected to the ends of the legs 16 by the bights 15. The legs 15 form the other two sides of the mesh. Note the two legs 16 of mesh R extend beyond the lineE which is an imaginary line connecting the bights 15 of the mesh D. This line E is parallel to 'the edge line of the fabric and at an angle of 99 to the axis C of the strands. The four sides of the mesh D, also the bights 17, are on the same side of the line E, sc that the line E, which connects the bights 15 together with the four sides of the mesh D, forms two triangular shaped figures, one within the other, with the mesh legs 14 and 16 as the sides and the line E as the imaginary base of both the triangles. Also, the apices of the triangles point in the same direction and the apex of the small triangle formed by the imag inary base E and mesh legs 14 points toward the center of the mesh, and toward the opposite end of the mesh.

In assembling this fabric, strand B, which is a counterpart of strand A, is spirally twisted and advanced through strand A and reversed, and wit the side edge bights of the two strands interlocked they form rows of meshes transversely of the fabric. When such counterpart strands as described for strand A are spirally assembled through one another to interlock bights at one edge of each strand with the side edge bights of the adjacent strand they form rows of meshes transversely and longitudinally of the fabric with the meshes alternately upright and inverted in each longitudinal row.

When this fabric is tensioned longitudinally or in the direction W1 as shown in Fig. 5, which mesh is the same size as meshes of Fig. 1, and enough tensioning power is exerted to spread this mesh, the angle X between the legs 14 is increased in size and the upper and lower bights 17 of the mesh are pulled farther away from each other thereby increasing the height H of the mesh. Fig. 6 shows a mesh of the same length mesh sides as that of Fig. l and Fig. 5 in which the mesh has been spread and showing the increase in the size of the angle X between the legs 14 and showing the increased height H1 of this mesh which is considerably more than the height H of Fig. 5. When meshes of this shape are used in a fabric and the fabric is tensioned longitudinally with lenough force to distort the meshes, each longitudinal row of these meshes will increase in width or height H transversely of the fabric.

However, while I have described the meshes of this fabric as having straight sides, I do not want to be limited as to the form of these mesh sides as they can be varied indefinitely and can be formed to produce quite an ornamental effect in the fabric as for example, Fig. 2 shows a fabric in which the short legs or the transverse expansion mesh sides have bent portions and Fig. 8 shows a few different designs of these transverse expansion mesh sides,

while the right-hand row of meshes in Fig. 8 shows a few of the ornamental effects that can be produced with kinks or bent portions in all of the mesh sides. Fig. 9 shows a portion of my fabric in which alternate strands have straight transverse expansion mesh sides and alternate strands have kinks in the transverse expansion mesh sides, while Fig. 10 shows a fabric in which each strand has alternate transverse expansion mesh sides with bent portions.

Moreover, while I have described this fabric with meshes so formed that each longitudinal row of meshes has transverse expansion mesh sides, I do not want to be limited in this respect as these meshes can be used with mesh of different shapes, as for example, Fig. 7 shows a fabric in which transverse expansion meshes F alternate with triangular mesh G. With this arrangement of meshes the zigzag longitudinal rows of transverse expansion mesh sides or legs 22 alternate with longitudinal rows of straight or rigid tension legs 23.

Moreover, I do not want to be limited in the use of the size or shape of meshes which include my transverse expansion mesh sides nor do I want to be limited in the use of these meshes in connection with meshes of different shapes, as longitudinal rows of my transverse expansion mesh can be used with longitudinal rows of meshes of different shapes as for example, Fig. 11 shows a portion of my fabric in which series of mesh rows include transverse expansion meshes K with four-sided meshes J and Fig. 12 shows a portion of my fabric in which series of mesh rows include 2 rows of my transverse eX- pansion mesh M between which are several rows of four-sided meshes P, which have straight sides and are shown of equal length but which may be deltoid shaped or have unequal length sides. Also the sides may have bent portions or kinks.

Also, I do not want to be limited as to the shape of the spiral strands used, as for example the fabric as shown by Fig. 13 has meshes, each of which has six interlocked bights, which fabric llO' is more fully described in my co-pending application, Serial No. 461,276, filed June 16, 1930.

While I have shown several forms of this fabric and mesh arrangement, I do not want to be limited as to the arrangements or number of mesh rows or series of mesh rows, nor to the details of construction o1' shapes of the mesh sides, since many changes may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the appended claims.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the term mesh side or leg in the appended claims is used to designate the entire portion of a single strand which is interposed between any two consecutive bights of a strand and that these mesh sides or legs may be straight or may have bent portions; and that the term bight is used to designate the bends of adjacent strands which are interlocked in the assembled fabric. Also, the term triangular-shaped gures is used in the broad sense in which the sides of these figures may either be straight or have bent portions or kinks.

I claim as my invention:-

1. A chain-link type of wire fabric comprising flattened spiral strands extending transversely of the fabric and intertwinedto form longitudinal rows of mesh in which each mesh is so formed that the apex of two sides points in the same direction as the apex of the other two sides.

2. A chain-linie type of wire fabric comprising iiattened spiral strands extending transversely of the fabric and intertwined to form longitudinal rows cf mesh, the fabric including longitudinal rows of mesh in which each mesh is so formed that the apex of two sides points in the same direction as the apex of the other two sides.

3. A chain-link type cf wire fabric comprising consecutively intertwined flattened spiral strands extending transversely of the fabric forming meshes longitudinally and transversely of the fabric, each mesh so formed that an imaginary line connecting two of its bights forms the base of two triangular-shaped figures, one within the other, with the mesh sides forming the sides of the triangles.

4. A chain-link type of wire fabric comprising consecutively intertwined attened spiral strands extending transversely of the fabric forming meshes longitudinally and transversely of the fabric and including longitudinal rows of meshes, each of which meshes is so formed that an imaginary line connecting two of its bights forms the base of two triangular-shaped gures, one within the other, with the sides of the mesh forming the sides of the triangular-shaped figures.

5. A chain-link type of wire fabric comprising intertwined zigzag spiral strands extending transversely of the fabric, the strands so formed that each two consecutive strands border a row of meshes each of which meshes is so formed that an imaginary line connecting two of its bights, together with the four mesh sides forms two triangular-shaped figures with the apices pointing in the same direction.

6. A chain-link type of wire fabric comprising intertwined zigzag spiral strands extending transversely of the fabric, the strands so formed that each two consecutive strands border a row of meshes which include meshes, each of which is so formed that an imaginary line connecting two of its bights, together with the four mesh sides forms two triangular-shaped figures with the apices pointing in the same direction.

7. A chain-link type of wire fabric comprising flattened zigzag spiral strands extending transversely of the fabric, the strands so formed that the fabric includes longitudinal rows of meshes in which each mesh is so formed that an imaginary line connecting two of its bights, together with the four mesh sides forms two triangularshaped figures with the apices pointing in the same direction.

8. A chain-link type of wire fabric comprising flattened spiral strands transversely of the fabric intertwined to form meshes and including meshes in which an imaginary line connecting two of its bights forms one side of a triangularshaped figure with two other sides of the mesh as the sides of the triangular-shaped gure and with the apex of this triangular-shaped figure pointing towards the center of the mesh.

9. A chain-link type of wire fabric comprising flattened spiral strands extending transversely of the fabric and intertwined to form longitudinal rows of meshes, each strand including a portion in which consecutive legs extend in the same genereal direction and in a direction at oblique angles to the longitudinal axis of the strands whereby these portions in adjacent strands form longitudinal rows of meshes in which each mesh has the apex which is formed by two of its sides pointing in the same direction as the apex which is formed by the other two sides of the mesh.

10. A chain-link type of wire fabric comprising attened spiral strands extending transversely of the fabric and intertwined to form longitudinal rows of meshes, each strand including a I..

portion in which two consecutive legs are on the same side of and at acute angles to a line tangent to the bight which is common to both the legs so that these strand portions in adjacent strands form longitudinal rows of meshes in 

